Road upset: Syracuse snaps Pitt home streak

Pittsburgh, PA (Sports Network) – Gerry McNamara scored five of his nine
points in overtime, as Syracuse ended Pittsburgh’s 40-game home winning streak
with an ugly 49-46 victory over the third-ranked Panthers.

Hakim Warrick scored 17 points to lead Syracuse and Josh Pace added 13. The
defending national champion Orangemen (19-6, 9-5 Big East) have won three in a
row and five of their last six to solidify their position in this year’s NCAA
Tournament.

Carl Krauser scored nine points before fouling out late in regulation for
Pittsburgh (25-3, 11-3), which had a three-game winning streak stopped. The
Panthers fell to 34-1 at the Petersen Events Center and lost a home game for
the first time since January 12, 2002 at Fitzgerald Field House.

Ironically, Pittsburgh’s home winning streak began with a 72-57 win over
Syracuse on January 22, 2002.

“It was an unbelievable streak and we’ll just have to start another one,” said
Pittsburgh head coach Jamie Dixon.

McNamara’s only field goal of the game, a three-pointer, gave Syracuse a 47-44
lead with 3:53 remaining in overtime. The Panthers then managed only two free
throws by Chris Taft over the next 2 1/2 minutes.

Pittsburgh, without Krauser in the overtime, couldn’t make a field goal.

Syracuse also struggled in the extra period, but McNamara was fouled with 27
seconds left and drained two from the stripe for a three-point edge.

Jaron Brown missed a three-point try from the right corner, but Pittsburgh
maintained possession when the rebound was knocked out of bounds with 4.7
seconds left. The Panthers inbounded the ball to Mark McCarroll, who misfired
from beyond the arc just before time expired.

Pittsburgh shot just 30.9 percent from the field and made only 3-of-16 tries
from three-point range. Syracuse was just 1-of-10 from beyond the arc.

“We battled on every play and every possession,” said Syracuse head coach Jim
Boeheim. “The way we battled defensively was the key to the game.”

Two free throws by McNamara gave Syracuse a 42-38 lead with 1:03 left in
regulation, but Julius Page countered with a three-pointer to pull Pittsburgh
within one.

The Orangemen then tried to take time off the clock and Warrick was called for
traveling with 14.3 seconds to play.

The Panthers tried to go inside to Chevon Troutman, who was fouled with 3.2
seconds left. He made the front end of the one-and-one, then missed the
second, sending the game into overtime.

Pittsburgh finished the game just 9-of-17 from the line. Syracuse, meanwhile,
was 12-of-16.

Syracuse trailed 32-27 with 12 minutes to play, then scored nine straight
points with the aid of a technical foul call against Dixon.

After a Craig Forth putback tied the game at 32-32, Dixon was upset at a non-
call at the other end and was hit with a technical foul.

McNamara hit both free throws for his first points of the game and a jumper in
the lane by Warrick on the ensuing possession gave the Orangemen a 36-32 lead
with 9 1/2 minutes remaining.

A dunk by Warrick with just over five minutes left gave Syracuse its biggest
lead at 39-34.

“It was a tremendous physical effort by our guys,” Boeheim added. “I’m very
proud of this team.”

Syracuse held a 5-2 lead early, but Pittsburgh ran off the next 11 points. A
three-pointer by Krauser capped the burst and gave the Panthers a 13-5 edge
with just over 11 minutes remaining in the opening half.

The Orangemen battled back and pulled within 16-15, but Page scored inside and
Krauser drained another shot from beyond the arc to give Pittsburgh a 21-15
advantage.

The Panthers carried a 22-19 lead to the break.

Syracuse opened the second half with four straight points to take the lead,
but Pittsburgh answered with an 8-2 run to grab a 30-25 edge.